


Ambassadors of the Heart

by ANGSWIN



Category: Black Panther (2018), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blind Date, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Friendship, Not HP Epilogue Compliant, Post-Black Panther (2018), Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 10:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20833712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANGSWIN/pseuds/ANGSWIN
Summary: Both Shuri and T'Challa wanted their friends to be happy in their new home...and in their roles as Wakandan ambassadors.  That is why they came up with the plan to get Hermione and Everett together via a blind date - no matter how much the two of them resisted the idea at first.





	Ambassadors of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2019 Marvelously Magical Fanfiction Bingo  
Square: N5 - Prompt: Blind Date

“I said no, Shuri!” Hermione exclaimed for what felt like the millionth time when her friend tried, yet again, to set her up on a blind date with one of the King’s friends.

“Come on, Hermione!” Shuri replied insistently. “You are pretty and single…yet all you do is work. You need to get out more, have some fun, and shake it up a little. You two even have a lot in common, you know. He is a brave warrior…just like you.” Before Hermione could do more than make a sound of dissent at that assertion, Shuri continued. “It’s true! After all, when he was here to help me reestablish the Heart-Shaped Herbs, that cutie Neville told me all about what you did in England during the Wizarding War. Therefore, I know that you are a strong woman…and a strong woman needs a strong partner. Everett can be that man for you. In fact, before my brother asked him to become an ambassador, the man fought on our side against Killmonger and helped to restore T’Challa to the throne. Before that, he was also with the American CIA for years. Therefore, he is a man of action." Shuri paused to grin at Hermione mischievously. "He needs something…or _someone_…exciting to do. You should give him a chance – especially since we both know that you could do with a little action yourself. It’s obviously been a dry season in _your_ jungle.” The shameless Wakandan gave her friend a suggestive little eyebrow waggle with the insinuation.

“I can’t believe you just said that!” Hermione murmured, even more embarrassed because it was the truth. There had not been anyone for her since Kingsley had asked her to move to Birnin Zana, the capital city of Wakanda, to become the ambassador for the Magical Contingencies there after King T’Challa had decided to open up the country…and some of its secrets…to the rest of the world. 

~~~~~

One of the new King’s first steps after he regained his throne was to start the Wakandan Outreach program out of California. Then he offered “ambassadorships” to a select few people from around the world whom he knew he could trust. The Wakandan royal family had long been aware of the magical communities and his father, King T’Chaka, had been good friends with the man who eventually became the Minister of Magic in England. In fact, the Prince had often visited with the Shacklebolt family when he was studying at Oxford to receive his Doctorate. Therefore, T’Challa had offered one of the coveted positions to live and work with the Wakandan people to Kingsley. 

He knew that even if the Minister did not accept the position for himself, then he could be trusted to choose someone else who would be a good fit for the position. T’Challa was right in that assumption because Kingsley had chosen Hermione – one of his most trusted allies ever since they had fought on the back of the thestral together during the Battle of the Seven Potters when she was just a teenager. Even though the Minister had been reluctant to give up his Magical Creatures and Beings Department Head, he also knew that the bright witch was not being challenged enough in her current environment, either professionally or personally. Consequently, he thought that Wakanda would be a good change for her…and he knew without a doubt that she would be able to represent the magical community better than anyone else could. 

He was right. Hermione soon found that she was happier in the small, but amazing, African country than she had been in the last several years in England – especially since she had slowly grown apart from Harry and her other friends there as they all naturally moved on with their adult lives. However, it was also true that, several months after the move, she remained single because she just had not clicked with any of the men that she had met so far…and she had never been the type to be interested in casual flings. Nevertheless, Hermione felt that she could not really complain about her lack of a love life because she knew how lucky she was in all other aspects. After all, her new country itself was beautiful, the culture was rich in fascinating traditions, its technology and advancements were simply mindblowing, and the spacious flat that was provided for her was filled with all of the modern conveniences that she could possibly think of…and even some that she had never even imagined! On top of all of that, she thoroughly enjoyed her new job. The quest to find magical applications for Vibranium was challenging. However, it was also fun and exciting – especially with Shuri as her lab partner and new best friend. 

Soon after Hermione’s arrival in the Golden City, she had met the King’s sister. The two intelligent and enthusiastic women hit it off instantly when it became obvious that they were both interested in research and experimentation. In fact, Shuri quickly recruited Hermione for the Vibranium labs - even before she found out about her special abilities. When Shuri discovered that her new friend was not only brilliant, but magical as well, she was ecstatic because magic opened up new and exciting avenues of research that had been unavailable to the inquisitive Wakandan before. Therefore, the two women found that they worked very well together...and soon they became inseparable. In addition to all of that, Shuri’s loud and outgoing personality perfectly balanced Hermione’s quieter and more reserved nature. The Wakandan loved to tease her calm British friend…just as much as T’Challa enjoyed doing the same with his serious American one.

In fact, both Shuri and T’Challa wanted their friends to be happy in their new home...and in their roles as Wakandan ambassadors. That is why they had put their heads together to come up with the plan to set the two trusted, single, and attractive people up with each other via a blind date - no matter how much Hermione and Everett resisted the idea at first.

~~~~~

“Stop trying to pimp me out!” Hermione retorted when Shuri brought up the subject again…even though the witch was beginning to feel like she was fighting a losing battle. “I’m not _that_ desperate!”

“Not pimping…just matchmaking!” Shuri replied with a nonplussed smirk. “Even though I do strongly recommend it, whether lots of hot kinky sex happens or not is completely up to you. Now, are you going to meet the cute white boy or not?”

“Oh sweet Merlin! Alright! Alright!” Hermione finally groaned in defeat and reluctant agreement. It just was not worth the effort to keep fighting Shuri on the issue - especially since the woman had boundless energy and never gave up. “Just one date, though,” she insisted. After a moment’s pause, however, in which Shuri cheered loudly at her victory, Hermione just had to ask, “Does he know that I am a…?” After all, she had learned that the Wakandan people were a lot more open to the idea of magic than the Muggles were back home. She did not know about the American, though.

“Nope,” Shuri reassured her before she could even finish asking the question, though. “It was not my place to tell him. However, maybe it will make the night even more _magical _for you both!” She laughed as her witch friend just groaned again at the bad pun. Shuri could tell that Hermione did not seem very hopeful at the idea of a blind date with a stranger, but she just knew that her friend would change her mind when she finally met Everett.

* * *

On the other side of Birnin Zana, Everett Ross was having a similar conversation with his friend, the King of Wakanda, as the monarch in question sprawled out in a not-very-majestic manner across the couch in Everett’s apartment. The American knew that it spoke volumes that T’Challa was comfortable enough in his presence to let his guard down that much, and he was pleased that they had become such good friends. They had gotten along fine after their first unlikely meeting in the aftermath of the Sokovia Accords tragedy when the then-prince had assumed the mantle of the Black Panther. However, fighting together to reclaim the Wakandan throne from Killmonger had really sealed their friendship. Nevertheless, their closeness did not make their current conversation any more comfortable.

“A blind date…really?” Everett did not even try to hide his skepticism after T’Challa had broached the subject yet again.

“You’ll love her!” T’Challa stated confidently as he once again tried to convince his friend to meet Hermione. “Even Shuri adores her. She’s brilliant…pretty…thoughtful…and she has a charming English accent. In fact, I would snatch her up for myself if…”

“If you weren’t already head over heels for Nakia,” Everett finished with a knowing grin. T’Challa just shrugged and pulled himself up into a more dignified sitting position while Everett continued. “Speaking of whom,” he asked – thrilled for the chance to direct the subject of conversation away from himself, “is your lady love still resisting your manly Kingliness in order to work with the Wakanda Outreach?”

This time T’Challa just grimaced. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time to put Nakia in charge of the program…he just did not realize that it meant she would decide to move to California full-time and that he would rarely get to see her. However, T'Challa knew that just because he did not have much of a love life at the moment did not mean that his friend had to suffer equally. 

“Just go fetch me one of those American beers that taste so much like rhino piss, Colonizer,” the king commanded in a lighthearted joking manner. Everett shook his head in friendly exasperation at the man, but he headed for the kitchen anyway. When he returned with a couple of bottles of the requested beverage, T’Challa wasted no time in the renewal of his praise of Hermione. “She is _much_ more than just a scholar, though – no matter how much she is in the lab with my sister. In fact, the two of you have more in common than you would think.”

“Such as…?” Everett asked curiously. Even though he was resistant to the idea of the blind dates in general, he could not help but to realize that this woman must be something special if both T’Challa and Shuri liked her enough to keep bringing the subject up…and he felt his interest in the idea increasing by the moment. _After all, what harm could it do to meet her?_ he thought to himself. Living in Wakanda was amazing, and he really enjoyed the work he was doing with the security forces there, but he could not deny that it would be even nicer to have someone with whom to share the wonder of it all.

His train of thought was interrupted by T’Challa’s reply, however. “That’s her secret to tell,” he replied mysteriously and winked. “I guess that you will just have to have dinner with her in order to find out.”

Everett simply glared at his friend for a moment before he finally gave in, as well. He could only hope that he was doing the right thing when he gave his reluctant agreement. However, he had to admit that he was now certainly intrigued by the thought of the mysterious Hermione…and that he now looked forward to meeting her. Nevertheless, he was also smart enough to know that had probably been T’Challa’s goal all along.


End file.
